Food insecurity has been an ongoing problem throughout Kentucky. Meade County’s food insecurity rate is 12.6% according to Feeding America’s Meal Gap.   Some Meade residents do not have the funds or accessibility to purchase healthy food choices. The obesity rate in Meade County is 36%. (countyhealthrankings.org)

To help with the local food insecurity, Meade County Cooperative Extension Service partnered with Feeding America Kentucky’s Heartland and other local food pantries to provide households with food through a monthly mass drive-thru food distribution. The first distribution began in March of 2020. We have held seven successful distributions since March and have served an average of 900 households each month. At each distribution the Meade County Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) Assistant has distributed nutritional information, recipes and Facebook Live Healthy Choices for Every Body flyers to the families. 

In addition to receiving the commodity boxes, Feeding Kentucky collaborated with the Nutrition Education Program to pilot a Facebook Live Healthy Choices for Every Body Program to educate the families. The Meade County EFNEP assistant was selected to be part of the pilot program. During the series of classes, the participants learned about nutrition, food safety, meal planning and food budgeting. Healthy recipes were demonstrated at the start of each session.

By the end of the program, over 67% of the participants planned their meals more often. 100% of the participants are cooking at home more often and 67% are participating physical activity.